Frequently asked questions about Spider
Should you play with 1, 2 or 4 suits?
To learn, start with 1 suit ("Easy" in the app): all 104 cards are spades, and every group is easy to move. With 2 suits ("Medium"), spades and hearts are mixed together; with 4 suits ("Hard"), you need two complete decks and much more patience. The number of cards stays the same; only the mix of suits changes.
What is the difference between Classic and Relaxed rules?
Under Classic rules, the default, a group of cards can only be moved if it is all of one suit. Under Relaxed rules, a group of consecutive ranks can be moved even if it contains mixed suits. Under both rules, a run is only removed if all its 13 cards, from king to ace, are of the same suit.
Why does the app refuse to deal?
A deal places one card on each of the 10 columns: it is refused while any column is empty. First fill the empty column with a card or a group, then deal. Dealing is also impossible once the stock is exhausted, after 5 deals.
What is the game code for?
Every deal in the app has a code, such as SP1-S1C-AAAAAAD. It specifies the number of suits, the rules and the shuffle: paste it into the New Game window ("Load a game using a code") to recreate exactly the same deal. This lets you replay a game or share it with someone.
Can every deal be won?
There is no guarantee, and the app does not tell you whether a deal is winnable: it has neither hints nor a solver. The winning games shown on this site use 1 suit. For the deals with 2 and 4 suits on the Examples page, the site's simple program found no win, which does not prove they are unwinnable.
How is the score calculated?
The game starts at 500 points. Each card move and each deal costs 1 point, each removed run earns 100 points, and the score never falls below 0. A game won in 117 moves therefore scores 500 − 117 + 800 = 1183 points.
Can you undo a move?
Yes, the app keeps the last 100 actions. Undo restores the score and move counter to what they were before the move. If that move completed a run that was removed, the run is restored too.